


How You Get the Girl

by emperorssmile



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Aline Penhallow & Alec Lightwood Friendship, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Helen Blackthorn & Maia Roberts Friendship, Heline, Light Angst, Magnus Bane mention, Relationship Advice, Wedding, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 08:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19194886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emperorssmile/pseuds/emperorssmile
Summary: Taking place in the timeline after 3x20 but before 3x21, Aline goes over to Magnus' penthouse to talk to Alec while Helen heads to the Hunter's Moon to talk to Maia. Advice is given & decisions are made.I do not own these characters. I acknowledge that creation of base characters belong to CC & that the creation of this world are both FF & CC.





	How You Get the Girl

“You’re pacing again.” Alec looked up from Magnus’ desk, bookmarking one of the hundred books piled high and flipped open. “I know you didn’t come all the way here to pace.” He sat back in Magnus’ chair and crossed his arms. Usually the Shadowhunter blocked out any and all distractions because his main mission was getting Magnus back from Edom but not even he could push through Aline’s incessant pacing. Her anxiety stifled the room.

“I _didn’t_ come here to pace.” She snipped, stopping for half a second to shoot Alec a look. “I came here to help you plan your wedding.”

“And walking a crater in my fiancé’s study is helping me plan my wedding _how?_ ” Like every other emotion since watching Magnus close the rift, Alec’s smirk was tinged with sadness.

“You’re just jealous because this is usually _your_ thing: pacing, overthinking, freaking out. When you look up Gay Panic, _your_ face pops up as the definition.” Aline rolled her eyes. With a huff she plopped down in one of the chairs facing Alec. Her hands collapsed against her thighs with a slap. “ _Whatever._ ” She snapped. “Show me…napkins or whatever color garter belt you were thinking of wearing.” Aline crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

“First off, napkins are low my list of to-do’s and secondly,  _no one’s_ wearing a garter belt.” Alec felt the need to state explicitly.

Aline smirked. “ _No one?_ Not even during the honeymoon?”

“You’re deflecting.” Alec’s brows were stern, lips pulled tight, but none of that negated the fact that he had a faint blush on his cheeks. “What was all that about?” He motioned to where Aline had been pacing earlier.

She let out a loud sigh of exasperation, “By the Angel, Lightwood. You’re so fucking _nosy_!”

Alec let out a shocked scoff. “You _literally—_ ” He frowned again. “Alright.” He let out a small exhale. “You almost had me there. Now spill.”

* * *

“She said I was cute and that she liked my ears.” Helen whispered over her drink to Maia.

“No way!” Maia’s grin was warm and wide. She held her index finger up to the newest patron who’d entered the bar and honed her focus in on Helen. “ _And?_ You can’t leave a wolf waiting when it’s this close to a full moon.” She teased.

“Well…nothing. I-I mean we… _never mind._ ” Helen turned bright pink and stared down at her drink.

“I’m giving you until I’ve taken these new orders for you to find your words.” Maia said, brows risen. “When I come back, I expect the full story.” The bartender floated to the other side of the bar to catch her new customers and get them settled. 

“So _that’s_ what I’d walked into?” Alec asked, brows risen. “ _That_ was your _research_?” He snorted.

“Oh, come on. Like you’ve never used that excuse before.” Aline rolled her eyes, not used to having an actual friend to talk crushes with.

“I mean I have, but it was much less suspicious.” He chuckled softly. “So, you called her cute and you two kissed. What’s the issue with picking up where it left off?” Alec asked. He felt a tinge of pride. Had anyone told him long ago that someone would come to _him_ for relationship advice, he would have stuck an arrow in them.

“Oh, hi Helen. I know we basically saw what the end of the world will look like and we’re all slammed with damage control, me with Alicante business, you with checking up on your family.  But hey! Let’s go on a date!” She laughed bitterly. “It’s ridiculous! I can’t waltz right up to her and say that!" 

“You actually could though. I mean you said it to me. Consider that your rehearsal.” Alec’s gaze drifted back down to his book of ancient texts and runes.

“Eyes on me, sir. I’m not your most _pressing_ issue but _I am_ an issue.” Aline frowned. It didn’t take a genius to see Alec’s mind was in other realms.

Alexander snorted. “You said it, not me.”

“Fuck off.” Aline laughed. 

* * *

The overall traffic of the bar had died down allowing Maia to slide on over to Helen. “She said you were cute and that she liked your ears and then you whatever’d.” Maia teased. “Care to share with the class what _whatever_ means?” 

“Kissed! Alright? We,” Helen found herself smiling softly, “we kissed.” Maia smiled encouragingly. “I’ve kissed other people before, girls, guys, but…but nothing has ever felt like that. I always thought the spark people talked about when they kissed _the one_ was a lie, but I felt it, Maia. And…” embarrassment took over yet again.

“And you’d like to feel it again.” Maia finished for her. Helen nodded silently, eyes dropping back to her glass. “Why don’t you? Kiss her I mean. I’m sure you’re running into her all the time at the Institute. It’s not like you have to go far out of your way to crash into each other.”

“Everything is just so hectic right now.” Helen sighed.

“Are you talking about what happened in Alicante?” Word made its way through the Downworld fast. Helen nodded. “Listen,” Maia placed her elbows on the bar and pressed her chin atop her knuckles. “Look at the lives we lead. There’s no 9 to 5 boring job, slap a TV dinner in the microwave, drink a beer, pass out on the couch, wake up and do the same thing the next day. Our lives are fast and always changing and for some, way too short.” She frowned thinking of her old wolfpack. Maia reached for a washcloth to busy her hands as she talked. “If you wait for things to calm down, you might find yourself waiting for too long.”

Helen’s big brown eyes met Maia’s. She wondered if the woman was talking from experience. Regardless, the advice was well accepted. “What do you suggest I do?”

“Take her on a date, dummy.” Maia snorted. She looked up from the counter space she’d been wiping. “You grab life by the horns and ride it until it throws you off. Or,” Maia smirked, “ride her until—” 

“ _OKAY._ ” Helen turned the color of a pomegranate.

* * *

“Try it again.” Alec sat back in Magnus’ chair, hands folded across his stomach.

“Hey Helen,” Aline started.

“Hi Aline.” Alec said, pitching his voice up.

“ _Oh my fucking God._ ” Aline sighed.

“Alright, alright.” Alec cleared his throat. “Hi Aline.” He said normally. “What’s up?”

“So, I was wondering if…you know I’ve been thinking a lot about our kiss back in Alicante and all…” Aline stared at Alec expectantly.

“Oh! Uh…r-right. Me too. It was…quite the kiss?” Alec said, pretending to be Helen.

Aline rolled her eyes, “ _ **Anyways** , _I was wondering if you’d like to get a drink sometime? Maybe now if you’re free?” 

“I am rather parched.” Alec smirked. He ducked when a decorative pillow came flying toward his head. “I would love to get a drink with you Aline.” He said with a laugh.

“If when I ask her, all I hear in my head is your dumb lady voice I’m going to shave your eyebrows off in your sleep.” Aline scowled.

“I’d revoke your wedding invitation.” Alec huffed back.

“You’d still have a wedding _with no eyebrows_?!” Aline stared.

“If it meant Magnus was back, I’d have a wedding with no eyebrows, yes.” Alec said.

“Have you…how’s the search going?” She motioned to the books in front of them.

“It’s endless.” He sighed, letting someone see how deflated he was for the first time since coming back to New York. “My mom is hellbent on the idea that he’s virtually dead.” Alec shook his head.

“You’d do anything to get him back, wouldn’t you?” Aline asked softly.

“You should probably get going before someone else tells Helen they like her ears.” Alec said, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

“Listen, just don’t go and do anything stupid like become a vampire or sell your soul or something, got it? I’ll kick your flat ass if I find out you went full idiot on me.” Aline threatened, eyes full of concern. 

“Every second here is a second wasted…” Alec hummed, needing to fully move the conversation away from _doing anything stupid_. He wondered if she’d somehow bugged the place when he was asleep or if she was really that perceptive.

* * *

Aline was en route to the Institute. She’d been debating the entire trip back on whether she should call, text, or even fire message Helen to meet her somewhere but couldn’t decide which. She kept thinking about Alec and Magnus and how they’d do anything for each other—how they _had_ done everything for each other. Aline knew she was being greedy with time and letting her anxiety get the best of her. Her best friend had lost the love of his life and here she was waffling back and forth on how to ask Helen on a date.

Lucky for Aline, she didn’t have to ask Helen anything.

Helen was on a mission from above: Operation Get Aline to Be My Girlfriend. Power walking through the streets of New York, her mind was on the intricacies of where and how and when. Completely focused in her plan, she didn’t realize she was speed walking right towards the one person consuming all her thoughts.

With a clash, both Helen and Aline rammed into each other.

Aline, who’d finally taken out her phone to text Helen, fell backwards. Her phone flew out of her hands and landed screen up on a nearby pile of grass. Helen had stumbled but managed to catch her balance. “Aline!” She scrambled to where the other had collapsed, touch immediately breaching professional protocol as she cupped Aline’s jaw with one hand to tilt her head up. “Are you okay?!”

Rarely one to fall as she was always on alert, Aline blinked a few times. Her elbows stung and lower back was sore but it was nothing an iratze couldn’t fix. “You’re not supposed to ask me if I’m okay. This is where you ask me if it hurt when I fell from Heaven.” Aline smirked.

Helen rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You’re ridiculous. Why do I have the feeling that even your last words would be flirty?” She laughed, dropping her hand and standing. Helen held her arm out to help Aline up.

“And why do I have the feeling that even your last words would be spent giving me shit?” Aline kept their hands together even after she found herself standing. Her smile was at ease even with blood dripping down her forearm.

“You’re insatiable, you know that?” Helen blushed into her laugh, slipping out her stele. “Where’s your iratze?” She didn’t want to draw a new one. People with a million iratzes were always made fun of for being so clumsy. Aline tugged her shirt up and revealed her stomach. Helen waved her stele over it before leaning over and grabbing Aline’s phone which was still lit. Seeing her name, she couldn’t help but read the message typed out: _Hey Helen, I was wondering if you wanted to catch a drink? Or maybe even a meal? I know a place with killer fries and milkshakes._

Aline didn’t stop Helen from reading the text, but she felt an immense amount of embarrassment watching it happen. “So?” She asked once Helen handed her the phone.

“There’s probably a million Helens out there. I-I didn’t want to assume…” She looked down at their still connected hands.

“There’s only one Helen I want to take out for milkshake and fries though.” Aline found herself blushing softly again.

“What if I don’t want fries?” Helen teased.

“Then we could go for mozzarella sticks or a charcuterie board or a hummus plate? You’re making me beg, you realize this, right?” Aline blushed even harder. Normally women fell to her feet. Having to work for attention was new to her.

“Aline, I have something very serious to tell you.” She looked her dead in the eye.

Aline's heart stopped. _This was the point where the cute girl says they just want to be friends, right? That the kiss was a test and that Helen hadn't felt the same intensity in return?_ Aline had never faced rejection before. She wasn't prepared and her thoughts were racing. When Helen opened her mouth to speak, every ounce of focus within her poured into paying attention.

“If I _ever_ turn fries down, I need you to know that I’m being possessed by a demon okay?” Helen snorted.

“Helen!” Aline laughed. All the tension her body had coiled in a matter of seconds sprang loose. She couldn’t help but lean forward and press their lips together; she’d been filled with so much joy that she felt the need to share with the one who gave it to her.

Helen gasped, surprised.

“Oh, s-sorry. I should’ve—” Aline had begun to apologize but was cut off when Helen kissed her back with the same intensity. The Penhallow melted in her boots when what broke their kiss was Helen’s smile. “So that’s a yes on the fries?” She whispered, looking up at Helen.

“That’s a yes on a lot of things.” Helen blushed.

**Author's Note:**

> I love taking Heline prompts. As a matter of fact, this was one suggested by @maiasheline ^_^
> 
> Head on over to Twitter & find me @magnvslightwood to drop me a prompt <3


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